Toyota on top of auto world again

Toyota Motor regained the crown as the world's top selling automaker in 2012, posting record-high sales and beating rivals General Motors and Volkswagen.

Toyota said on Monday it sold 9.75 million vehicles group-wide around the world last year, a record for the 75-year-old Japanese automaker and up 22.6 per cent from a year ago.

The result was in line with the company's December forecast, and put it back in the No. 1 spot, which it lost in 2011 when it was hit by a wave of negative publicity after a recall crisis in the United States, and a disrupted supply chain following an earthquake in Japan and floods in Thailand.

Toyota held the global sales crown from 2008 through 2010, but fell to third place in 2011 behind GM and Volkswagen.

GM sold 9.28 million vehicles in 2012, up 2.9 per cent from a year ago, while Volkswagen sold 9.07 million vehicles, up 11.2 per cent.

Toyota aims to sell 9.91 million vehicles group-wide globally in 2013, up 1.6 per cent from 2012.

The Toyota group also includes sales at Daihatsu Motor and Hino Motors Toyota-only sales hit a record-high 8.72 million vehicles, up 22.8 per cent on a year ago.

Toyota's domestic rival Nissan Motor said on Monday it sold a record 4.94 million vehicles globally in 2012, while Honda Motor sold 3.82 million vehicles, up 19 per cent.